It’s amazing to be smack in the middle of a Power Greater than your own–healing and changing–resolving and soothing–making you whole. This how I am feeling, having completed by 4th and 5th steps. Today, I choose to continue laying my burden down.
Today is a new day. I am not defined by my past nor am I destined to repeat the same mistakes. Today I use the past to pave my way into the future. After all, I have learned a few things–having beaten my head against the wall forty-thousand times and finally, on the forty-thousandth and one time, I got something.
I am not perfect. I will continue to make mistakes and suffer the consequences, but for today, I live with the understanding that having a conscious contact with my Higher Power turns possibilities into realities–despair into hope–pain into joy–and calamity into serenity. The 3rd Step Prayer continues to be a source of incredible inspiration and an affirmation of my surrender:
God I offer myself to Thee, to build with me and to do with me as Thou wilt. Relieve me of the bondage of self that I may better do Thy will. Take away my difficulties that power over them may bear witness to those I would help of Thy power, Thy love and Thy Way of Life. May I do Thy will always. Amen.” (AA 3rd Step Prayer)
Mom,
I especially liked the part where he said, “If we focus on the storm we will have fear… and if we focus on Jesus we will have Faith.” And it’s so true that all of us are just in or just out of a storm–cycles of the natural world we live in, right?
I love you… and I’m glad we are going through this process together–it’s really pretty cool!
Your Son,
John
Pseudonym,
Hey, thank you! I really appreciate you taking the time to read and comment. Hope you will continue coming back.
Hope and Peace,
John
Hi Ron,
Your writing today fits in so well with the sermon I heard in church today.
How to Survive the Storms of Life
There are 3 sources of storms:
1. We create our own (Like the prodigal son, he wanted everything now and got out of God’s will.)
2. Some are from God. God allows storms to conform us (Jonah for he disobeyed God and tried to do it his own way . . . disobedience. Sometimes we drift away and God will allow a storm to bring us back.
3. Some are from Satan. Satan wants us to drown in the storms of life. He doesn’t want us to walk with God…just as he tried to keep Jesus from going to the cross by tempting Him on the mountain. Remember, Jesus was a flesh and blood human being like us.
Sometimes we think God doesn’t hear us or care about our storms in life. Think of lazarus that was dead. He was in no hurry to go. When He did get there the people said that it was too late, but Jesus called him from the grave. His timing is always perfect. Sometimes we turn to all sorts of things when we are in the storms of life. If only we would call on Him first instead of last.
If we focus on the storm, we will have . . . fear.
If we focus on Jesus, we will have . . . faith.
We are all in a storm or–
We are just coming out of a storm or–
We are about to enter a storm.
We have to go through the rough waters to get to the still waters where Jesus rebukes the storm in the boat with the disciples and says,
“Peace be still and the storm ceased.”
Source: Pastor Eddie Leopard, Millbrook Baptist Church, Aiken, South Carolina. Sermon given on April 6, 2008.
I love you,
Mom
Hi…just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your writing.